Global Activist Shiza Shahid Comes to Commerce

Shiza Shahid, the Co-Founder of the Malala Fund, was on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce last night as part of the William L. Mayo Prestigious Speaker Series.

Shahid is a 26-year-old global activist, advocate, and role model for females. She was born in Pakistan and lived in Islamabad until she received a scholarship to Stanford University in California. While in the United States attending college, Shahid mentored young women back in Pakistan, including Malala Yousafzai. After Malala was shot in 2012, Shahid made her way to her bedside. She says that's when they "recognized that there was an opportunity to take this really horrendous thing that had happened and use it to create positive change in the world." 

Shahid has spent the last few years with the Malala Fund and continues to support it, but she is moving her focus to finding and empowering the other 'Malalas' of the world.

What can we do in our community?

Communities are where change begins. Malala began her journey for change in her community, and Shahid did the same. She says it begins with looking inward and finding what is broken. Shahid encourages all people, but especially young people to search out what is ailing their communities and find ways to fix it. She also stresses the importance of creating support systems and connections throughout communities.

What is the most unexpected thing about activism?

Shahid explains that the idea that someone out there is doing the thing that needs doing is faulty. Expecting someone else to fix the things you think are wrong doesn't get them done. Getting up and getting involved is the only way to ensure that the things you see as broken are repaired.